Improvement in iron culverts



.M. G. FREEMAN. Improvement in Iron-Culverts. No. 114,662. Patented May9,1871.

. Culverts and UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MOODY G. FREEMAN, 0F BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN IRON CULVERTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 114,662, dated May 9,1871.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MoonY G. FREEMAN, of Bloomington, in the county ofMcLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Iron Tunnels or do hereby declare the following to be afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying drawing, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to certain improvements upon the iron tunnel orculvert for which Letters Patent were granted to me Dccember 6, 1870, aswill be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order to enable others skilled in the art to which my inventionappertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe itsconstruction and operation, referring to the annexed drawing, in which-Figure 1 is a perspective view, showing portions of two sections of myculvert. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section; and Fig. 3 is an endview, showing a lateral tunnel, culvert, or sewer entering the maintunnel.

In my former patent, above referred to, I described my tunnel as made insections, and each section composed of one top piece and two sidepieces, connected together in a certain manner.

In this case I make each section of the tunnel or culvert in as manysmaller longitudinal sections A A as may be desired or necessary, eachof said smaller sections having along one edge a tongue, at, and alongthe other a groove, b. In this groove the tongue of the adjoiningsection A is inserted; Upon the outside of these sections A A, at oneedge, are formed any suitable number of loops (1, as shown, and tonguesor projections c on the other to fit into said loops on the adjoiningsection, and then fastened by a screw or rivet.

At the ends of the sections A A are flanges f f, through which bolts arepassed to secure the completed sections of the tunnel together.

The sections A A may be made of any size or weight and. any formdesired, either plain or smooth, or ribbed on one side, as shown in thedrawing;

or they may be ribbed on both sides, the bulge on one side against andopposite the depression on the other, said ribs giving greater strength.

The sections A A may go all around, making the tunnel a cylinder, whichmay be round or oval, as shown in Fig. 2; or several of these sectionsmay be left off at the bottom, and the bottom or lower sections on eachside will then be connected. and held firm, as specified in my formerpatent, by rods or bars or plates of iron, or laid on masonry, orotherwise made fast, as may be desired.

The end plates, B B, are used when two or more tunnels are wanted sideby side, and these plates can also be made in one or more pieces, as maybe desired.

The bottom of the tunnel may be made flat, with the edges turned up, andbent slightly inward at the sides, so that the sections can slip in andcannot spread out at the sides, and

also small projections or lugs cast on the bottom, to prevent the footof section from slipping inward. I

This tunnel may be used as a sewer, or on a large scale for a culvertfor the passage of water, or as a tunnel for the passage ofrailroad-trains. In the latter case it may be advisable to constructthetrack a little above the bottom of the tunnel, as shown in Fig. 2, soas to allow the flow of water below the track and ties.

If desirable to have the track laid on ties to be laid on the ground, asusual, and dispense with any drainage, then several of the individualsections AA may be left off on the bot tom side of the tunnel, and thetunnel laid on masonry, as above intimated, or otherwise fastened at thebottom.

This tunnel may be ventilated in the man-- ner described in my formerpatent. Of course, lateral tunnels may enter a main tunnel, asrepresented in Fig. 2; and when this is done, as well as whenventilatingshafts connect with the tunnel, the connection must be madewater-tight by cement or any other means attainable.

When used for sewers the iron can be made very thin and at less costthan either brick or stone, and as durable as either.

p rno her n set forth In testimony thatI claim the foregoing I havehereunto set my hand this 22d day of- December, A. D. 1870.

oopv FREEMAN.

gether substantfally in the manner and to Witnesses H S- SL DE J.HUKILL.

